All upcoming Philosophy & Religion programs

Philosopher Ben Bramble argues that we are often told humanity’s destiny lies beyond Earth—complete with Martian cities, asteroid mining, lunar industries, and even “backup planets.” Drawing on his book Lunacy: Ten False Promises of the New Space Age, he contends that many of these visions rest on misunderstandings about risk, progress, and what truly makes a human future genuinely good. If we care about humanity’s long-term flourishing, he suggests we should look less to Mars—and more carefully at our own planet.

Founded by the hermit monks of San Girolamo in 1396 in Venice, the Church of San Sebastiano can be described as Venetian artist Paolo Veronese’s “Sistine Chapel.” The church houses a cycle of paintings that are the most important works Veronese created. Other notable works found in the church and sacristy include Titian's St. Nicholas and works by Paris Bordone, Jacopo Tintoretto, and Bonifacio de' Pitati. Italian Renaissance art expert Rocky Ruggiero discusses Veronese’s paintings and highlights other noteworthy works in the church. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Anne Hutchinson can be regarded as the founding mother of religious freedom in America, says historian and author Fred Zilian. In the 1630s, her outspoken theological views brought her into conflict with the Puritan leadership of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Tried for sedition and heresy in 1637–38, she was excommunicated from the church and banished from the colony. Zilian traces Hutchinson’s life and legacy.

Art historian Sophia D’Addio of Columbia University explores how Renaissance Italian art—from sacred images to elite portraits and monumental architecture—was crafted to inspire devotion, awe, and admiration. Covering the 14th to 16th centuries, a 5-session series highlights major works, their innovative forms, and the powerful patrons behind them. Participants gain insight into how artists shaped viewers’ experiences and communicated religious, social, and political meaning. (World Art History Certificate core course, 1 credit)

Echoing the deepest beats of the heart, drums are perhaps the oldest human instruments, and they figure into faith traditions across the United States. Featuring the music of the Rumi Daf Ensemble and Mark Rooney, as well as storytelling and performance from Dennis and Ralph Zotigh and the scholarship of Jalal Kimia and Deborah Wong, this program explores the power of percussion. Examining the use of the daf in the American Islamic diaspora, how taiko drumming connects Japanese Americans with Buddhist and Shinto traditions, and the power of Native American drum circles, this program illuminates how Americans today feel the beat of their faith in harmony.

Art historian Noah Charney reveals how some religious artworks function as intricate visual puzzles, inviting viewers to decode layers of symbolism, theology, and even politics. He highlights how painters embedded clues ranging from enigmatic objects to hidden narratives, and notes that one artwork even includes a recipe tucked into its imagery. (World Art History Certificate elective, ½ credit)

Hindus have long wished to see their deities in visible form, and artists have met this desire through sculptures and paintings. In modern India, this desire has also been met by colorful mass-produced “God-prints,” often called calendar prints or bazaar art. Richard Davis, professor emeritus of religion, outlines the history of this genre of commercial religious art, from its origins in colonial Kolkata and Maharashtra through its proliferation in independent India. (World Art History Certificate elective, ½ credit)

The rivalry between Protestant Elizabeth I of England and Mary, Queen of Scots, a Catholic, was one of the most dramatic political and religious conflicts of the 16th century. Amy Leonard, a Georgetown University professor of history, examines the real relationship between these two powerful yet diametrically opposed rivals, who never met in person but were linked by family ties, gender, and religious and political intrigue.

Nearly 4,000 Buddhist shrines, temples, and monasteries dot the arid plains around the ancient walled city of Bagan in Upper Myanmar, dating mostly from the 11th to 13th centuries. Historian Justin M. Jacobs examines one of the earliest and most spectacular Buddhist kingdoms in Southeast Asia, with a focus on the art and architecture of Bagan and the religious monuments erected during the height of its power.

People have told stories about disasters throughout the ages. One of the oldest such stories is that of the 10 plagues in the book of Exodus, the disasters that forced the Egyptians to liberate the Israelites. Religious studies scholar Steven Weitzman explores how artists, writers, activists, philosophers, believers, and unbelievers of later ages have reshaped the story to give expression to their trauma, outrage, guilt, humor, and hope.